Abstract:

Pakistan is a party to UN Habitat Agenda; under it housing for all has been envisaged as a basic human right. Government of Pakistan is trying its level best to achieve the goal of housing for all in Pakistan but there are many grey areas in the Legal Framework relating to housing industry in Pakistan. The present legal framework relating to housing industry in Pakistan is weak, unable to check malpractices, so it needs to be improved to achieve the goal of housing for all as envisaged by UN Habitat Agenda, in the light of international best practices. The Pakistani legal framework is not enough good to tackle all the obstacles to achieve the goal of housing for all. Even in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 does not contain the right of housing as a fundamental right; hence it cannot be enforced through the courts of law like other fundamental rights. This article provides a detailed analysis of present legal framework relating to housing industry in Pakistan as well as it highlights the grey areas in the housing laws of Pakistan. It is also discussed whether the relevant laws at Federal, provincial and local level needs to be modified and improved to achieve the goal of housing for all or not. To achieve this goal, a combination of analytical and critical approach has been adopted. Primary sources like laws and case laws have been used to do qualitative research to suggest various amendments in the relevant laws of all the layers of the Governments i.e. Federal, Provincial and local. This article contains some recommendations and suggestions to strengthen the Legal Framework as well as the regulatory mechanism relating to housing industry in Pakistan. It also aims to suggest various recommendations to the all the levels of the Governments as well as to give input to amend and update the relevant laws to make them suitable to achieve the goal of housing for all.

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